Day 1 Assignment Copy-Paste

Use this file to configure Assignment 1 in GitHub Classroom.

Assignment Settings

  • Title: You Belong Here
  • Type: Individual
  • Visibility: Private
  • Template repository: Community-Access/learning-room-template
  • Grant students admin access: No
  • Enable feedback pull requests: Yes
  • Deadline: End of Day 1 or your cohort-specific date

Paste Into Assignment Description

Copy everything inside the block below into the Classroom assignment description field.

# Assignment 1: You Belong Here

Welcome to Git Going with GitHub! This is your private learning repository for Day 1. Everything you do here is yours - experiment freely.

## What You Will Do Today

During the live Day 1 core path, you will practice the skills needed to make your first browser-based GitHub contribution. If the room needs more time, later challenges can continue during open lab time or after the event.

- Navigate a real GitHub repository using your screen reader
- File your first issue describing something you noticed
- Communicate with teammates using @mentions and comments
- Create a branch to work in safely
- Make your first commit to a file
- Open a pull request linking your work to an issue
- Learn how merge conflicts work, with live support if time allows
- Reflect on open source culture and communication, live or asynchronously
- Merge a pull request into the main branch, or leave with clear next steps to finish it

## Challenges

Complete these challenges in order. Each one builds on the previous. When you close a challenge issue, the Student Progression Bot automatically opens your next challenge. The live agenda prioritizes Challenges 1-6; Challenges 7-9 are available as stretch or async follow-up.

| Challenge | What You Do | Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Find Your Way Around | Explore the repository structure and locate key files | [Chapter 3](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/03-navigating-repositories.md) |
| 2. File Your First Issue | Create an issue describing something you noticed | [Chapter 5](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/05-working-with-issues.md) |
| 3. Join the Conversation | Mention a teammate or bot using @mentions | [Chapter 5](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/05-working-with-issues.md) |
| 4. Branch Out | Create a feature branch for your work | [Chapter 4](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/04-the-learning-room.md) |
| 5. Make Your Mark | Edit a file and commit with a clear message | [Chapter 4](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/04-the-learning-room.md) |
| 6. Open Your First Pull Request | Open a PR that references an issue with `Closes #N` | [Chapter 6](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/06-working-with-pull-requests.md) |
| 7. Survive a Merge Conflict | Understand and fix conflict markers | [Chapter 7](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/07-merge-conflicts.md) |
| 8. The Culture Layer | Reflect on community norms and communication | [Chapter 8](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/08-open-source-culture.md) |
| 9. Merge Day | Get your PR reviewed, approved, and merged | [Chapter 10](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/10-notifications-and-day-1-close.md) |

## Autograded Challenges

Challenges 2, 5, 6, and 7 have automated checks that run when you push or open a PR:

- **Challenge 2:** Verifies you have filed at least one issue
- **Challenge 5:** Verifies at least one commit exists on a non-default branch
- **Challenge 6:** Verifies your PR body contains `Closes`, `Fixes`, or `Resolves`
- **Challenge 7:** Verifies no merge conflict markers remain in `docs/`

The autograder posts feedback as a PR comment. If a check fails, read the feedback and push an update.

## Evidence

Each challenge has an issue that the Student Progression Bot creates for you. Complete the challenge, leave a comment with your evidence, and close the issue to unlock the next one.

## If You Get Stuck

Every chapter has an "If You Get Stuck" section with specific troubleshooting steps. Start there.

You can also:
- Ask your assigned buddy or study group
- Post a question on the issue thread
- Mention `@gandalf-bot` in a comment for a workspace check
- Ask a facilitator for help - that is what they are here for

## After Day 1

When you complete all 9 challenges, you have the foundation for everything in Day 2 - or for contributing to any open source project on your own. These skills are yours permanently.

**Continuing to Day 2?** See the [Day 2 assignment](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/classroom/assignment-day2-you-can-build-this.md) for what comes next.

**Day 1 is your only day?** Everything you learned today is complete and self-contained. See the [Next Steps guide](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/22-what-comes-next.md) for how to continue your GitHub journey independently.

## Bonus Challenges

If you finish early, check the [Challenges page](https://github.com/Community-Access/git-going-with-github/blob/main/docs/CHALLENGES.md) for bonus challenges A through E.

Authoritative Sources

Use these official references when you need the current source of truth for facts in this chapter.

Section-Level Source Map

Use this map to verify facts for each major section in this file.